Server systems include time controls which provide user equipment access to synchronization timing data. Server systems exchange synchronization timing data between user equipment and master clocks using Internet Protocol (IP) packets. IP packets include hardware time stamps indicating clock frequency, phase, and time origin.
Mobile networks use Time Division Multiplex (TDM) signals, Global Positioning System (GPS) or Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and Synchronous Ethernet (SynchE) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to perform synchronization. For those networks that require alignment to the same frequency, phase, and time origin, PTP is typically used. PTP is based on the provision of timing through the packet network, which is typically the most cost-effective solution.
Many wireless networks are deployed in public locations which make them more vulnerable to hacking attempts. A malicious node may try to hack a network and provide receiving slave nodes with false synchronization data by impersonating a master node. When a malicious node impersonates a master clock, slave nodes need to be able to determine that the master node is now a malicious node and end synchronization or use an alternative master node to perform time synchronization. Packet information in the synch messages can help detect anomalies due to possible hacking attempts. If malicious nodes are not detected early, synchronization for fundamental mobile services may fail.